The La Jolla Art & Wine Festival returns to Girard Avenue on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2026, with more than 170 artists from across the U.S. and Mexico, a ticketed Wine & Beer Garden, pet adoptions, and a free family art center. Walking the festival costs nothing. The money raised goes to La Jolla’s public schools.
This year’s featured artist is Doug Merskin, a Florida-based mixed media artist who heat-bends acrylic into ocean-like forms. Here is who is pouring, what the garden tickets include, and how to plan a day in the Village, from the festival’s official pages as of September 28, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11, 2026, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Where | Girard Avenue, La Jolla Village, San Diego (the ticket page lists 7733 Girard Ave., La Jolla, CA 92037) |
| Highlights | 170-plus artists, Wine & Beer Garden, pet adoption, Family Art Center, silent auction |
| Ages | All ages. The Wine & Beer Garden is 21+, no children |
| Tickets | Festival is free. Wine & Beer Garden tickets $65, $75, or $90 plus fees and tax |
| Pets | Welcome |
| Official site | ljawf.com |
What to see
The artists work in painting, sculpture, jewelry, fine glass, ceramics, woodwork, mixed media, and photography. The festival says prices start around $30 for prints, gifts, and small works and run to several thousand dollars for large originals, and many artists take commissions. Featured artist Doug Merskin paints with acrylics, mineral pigments, and metallic powders, then heat-sculpts the surface into three-dimensional wave shapes.
Who’s pouring
The Wine & Beer Garden sits at the center of the festival at Girard Avenue and Silverado Street, with more than 13,000 square feet of shaded seating and a dance floor. It is open noon to 6 p.m. both days, last pour at 5:30 p.m. The festival says more participants may be added, and groups them as wine, brews, spirits, and food or water. The 2026 participants listed so far:
Pali Wine Co., PRP Wine, Melograno, Shepard, Turtle Rock Ridge Winery, Valentina Vineyards, Ramona Valley, La Jolla Crafted Wines, Artiste Winery, Mia Marie Vineyards, Bernardo Winery, Fat & Happy, Wine Guy Wine Gal, South Coast Winery, Paul Hobbs Winery, Outlaw Wine Company, Pure Project, Boochcraft, Fuego Hard, Novo Brazil, Mike Hess Brewing, MAKKU, Singha, Tipsy Truck, Weihenstephan, Bitburger, Above Board, Good News, Batch 22, Puesto, Eden Mill, Marisi, Camel Gin, Chervona Vodka, Surfside Iced Tea + Vodka, Blowfish Tequila, Vieroma, The Cottage, Topo Chico Sabores, Popup Bagels, Shake Shack.
Garden tickets
The festival itself is free. The garden needs a ticket from Events.com, good for the day you pick. Door tickets are sold if any are left, and the festival expects to sell out.
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| General Admission | $65 | 5 tastings, collectible reusable tasting cup |
| General Admission Plus | $75 | 8 tastings, tasting cup |
| VIP | $90 | 10 tastings, tasting cup, limited-edition tote, VIP entrance, unlimited in-and-out |
Every tier includes entry, live music, shaded seating, and the dance floor. Tastings can be used on wine, beer, spirits, food, or nonalcoholic drinks. With fees and tax, the checkout page listed totals of $74.57, $85.69, and $102.35. There are no designated driver tickets, no assigned seats, and no refunds, since tickets count as a donation. Bring valid ID: anyone who cannot show they are 21 will not get in or get a refund. It is rain or shine.
Who’s playing
Live music runs in the Wine & Beer Garden both days. The early sets posted so far:
| Day | Performers |
|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 10 | Josh Weinstein (noon), San Diego Opera (12:45 p.m.), Seaside Seranaders (1 p.m.) |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | Slack Key ʻOhana (noon), San Diego Opera (12:45 p.m.), The Dub Squad (1 p.m.) |
What’s on the menu
The 2026 food vendors along the festival: Bread and Cheese Catering, Belinda’s Familia Taco Shop, Doggos Gus, Famigos Ice Cream, Fusion Eats, Greek Snack, House of Bao, Isola Pizza Bar, Mariposa Ice Cream, Scrappy Hot Dogs, SoCal Lemonade, and Chick-fil-A La Jolla. Garden sponsors offer samples only, but you can carry in food and nonalcoholic drinks from the food court. No glass.
Family notes
The free Geppetto’s Toys Family Art Center is at Wall Street and Girard Avenue. Activities listed for 2026:
- Live monster art by San Diego artist Brandon Fuqua, known as Barfo, all weekend.
- Crafts, prize drawings, and giveaways from Geppetto’s Toys.
- Ballet and dance with The Rosin Box Project, robotics with La Jolla Youth Robotics, and gymnastics, aerial acrobatics, and parkour with Momentum Acrobatics.
- Crafts with the La Jolla/Riford Library, visual arts and street performances from Seaside Arts Center, a book reading with local author Loni Belle, rock painting with Tighe Hanson, a sensory booth from the Young Entrepreneurs Club, and face painting by Orion Doodles.
Meet a new best friend
Rescue groups set up along Girard Avenue for pet adoptions, including Born Again Animal Rescue, Spay Neuter Action Project, Paws 4 Thought Animal Rescue, Leonberger Rescue, Tragic to Magic, Free Flight, Baja Paws Rescue, Mutt Scouts, and Friends of Cats. The festival is pet friendly, garden included.
The silent auction
Bidding is online and opens Friday, October 2, at ljawf.com/auction. You can bid by phone, text, or computer, or ask a festival volunteer to bid for you.
Where the money goes
The festival is run by the nonprofit La Jolla Art & Wine Festival Foundation. Profits pay for art, music, science, PE, technology, and on-site medical care at La Jolla’s public schools, and the festival says it has donated more than $1.7 million since it began. Hoodline lists the five schools as Bird Rock Elementary, La Jolla Elementary, Torrey Pines Elementary, Muirlands Middle School, and La Jolla High School, and reports the festival was founded in 2008 by La Jolla resident Sherry Ahern.
Getting there
From I-5 North, exit La Jolla Parkway, which becomes Torrey Pines Road, and follow it until it ends at Girard Avenue by the Vons shopping center. From I-5 South, exit La Jolla Village Drive, head west, turn left on Torrey Pines Road, and stay on it to Girard. The festival is to your right.
The festival says there is street parking and paid lots throughout La Jolla, and ACE Parking offers advance reservations at nearby lots through a link on the festival’s visitors page. It also encourages Uber or Lyft, especially if you are tasting.
Tips
- Buy garden tickets early. Capacity is limited.
- Pace your tastings. The garden is open six hours, and security can turn away anyone who arrives intoxicated.
- Bring ID and your phone. Tickets can be shown on your phone or printed.
- Bring the dog if it likes crowds. The festival is pet friendly.
Accessibility
The festival has not posted event accessibility details for 2026. Questions can go to info@lajollaartandwinefestival.com.
Still to come
The garden’s afternoon music schedule, a current festival map, and any added Wine & Beer Garden participants have not been posted yet. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- La Jolla Art & Wine Festival, official site (dates, artists, mission, donations, featured artist)
- LJAWF: Visitors (hours, location, directions, parking)
- LJAWF: Wine & Beer Garden tickets
- LJAWF: Wine & Beer Garden participants
- LJAWF: Entertainment
- LJAWF: Gourmet Food
- LJAWF: Geppetto’s Toys Family Art Center
- LJAWF: Pet Adoption
- LJAWF: Silent Auction
- LJAWF: What to Expect (price range, commissions)
- Events.com: Wine & Beer Garden tickets (tiers, prices, FAQs)
- Hoodline: La Jolla Art & Wine Festival Returns to Raise Cash for Five Public Schools (September 2026)
Featured photo: JiriMatejicek via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
